Even though I try as much as possible not to carry a smartphone, sometimes I have to; and on those occasions I do like it when people notice my somewhat unconventional choice. The Unihertz Jelly Star has a 3 inch display, and I am often asked questions like whether it’s a real phone and does it have a camera/internet/apps etc.

A few days ago I went to pick up a package, which required me to have the smartphone in order to show the pick-up message and confirm delivery. Both the shop owner and his younger employee, who asked to see the message, were amazed to see my phone. The shop owner commented on how everyone is always looking for bigger and bigger and how rare it is to see someone go in the opposite direction. The employee wanted to hold it in his hand to see how it feels. Then he asked something like ‘yeah, but is it convenient to type on? Do you use Whatsapp or anything on this thing?’. My reply was that it’s not really convenient, and that I don’t use Whatsapp. At this point the shop owner started smiling synpathetically, while the younger guy looked quite confused. So I added that I prefer to use my phone as little as possible and that this inconvenience really helps. Well, it was worth going there just for the shop owner’s smile; he clearly got the idea.

Buying this phone about a year and a half ago was a brilliant choice. My screen time immediately dropped from 2-3 hours a day to less that 30 minutes (and now it’s more like 3 minutes a day). I use it when I have to, and that’s it. I don’t use Whatsapp; and other than phone calls I handle all my electronic communications on my computer. The Jelly Star is far from perfect, but that’s exactly the point: I love it mostly for how convenient it is in my pocket; the fact that it’s really inconvenient on my eyes is, paradoxically, a huge plus.

We live in a world where ultimate convenience and lack of friction make addiction something we have to actively defend ourselves against. Sometimes choosing an inconvenient option is the way to go.